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g； we go to a general attack and chase them all the way to the English Channel！ I think we have the situation we've been hoping for。〃
BRUSSELS； BELGIUM
At NATO headquarters； staff officers looked at the same maps and reached the same conclusions with less enthusiasm。 Reserves were dangerously low…yet there was no choice。 Men and guns converged on Alfeld in ever increasing numbers。
PANAMA
It was the biggest transit of U。S。 Navy ships in years。 The gray hulls used both sides of each lock system； preventing westbound traffic from moving。 They were in a hurry。 Helicopters moved the Canal pilots to and from ships； speed restrictions were broken； regardless of the erosion problems at the Gaillard Cut。 Those ships needing refueling had it done as soon as they exited the Canal at the Gatun Locks； then formed an antisubmarine barrier outside Lim￠n Bay。 The formation's transit from Pacific to Atlantic lasted twelve hours under ruthless security。 Finished； they departed north at a fleet speed of twenty…two knots。 They had to go through the Windward Passage at night。
30 … Approaches
BOSTON； MASSACHUSETTS
They call it the smell of the sea； Morris thought； but really it's not。 It's the smell of land It came from the tidal marshes…all the things that lived and died and rotted at the water's edge； all the smells that fermented in the marginal wetlands and when released blew out to sea。 Sailors considered it a friendly odor because it meant that land； port； home； family were near。 Otherwise it was something to be neutralized with Lysol。
As Morris watched； the tug Papago shortened her towline for better control in the restricted waters。 Three harbor tugs came alongside； their crews throwing messenger lines to the frigate's sailors。 When they were secured； Papago cast off and proceeded up the river to refuel。
〃Good afternoon； Captain。〃 The harbor pilot had e out on one of the tugs。 He looked to have been bringing ships in and out of Boston for fifty years。
〃And to you； Captain；〃 Morris acknowledged。
〃I see you killed three Russian subs？〃
〃Only one by ourselves。 The others are assists。〃
〃How much water are you drawing forward？〃
〃Just under twenty…five feet…no；〃 Morris had to correct himself。 The sonar dome was at the bottom of the Atlantic now。
〃You did well to bring her back； Captain；〃 the pilot said； looking forward。 〃My 'can didn't survive。 Before you were born； I guess。 Callaghan； seven ninety…two。 Assistant gunnery officer； I'd just made j。g。 We got twelve Jap planes； but just after midnight the thirteenth kamikaze got through on us。 Forty…seven men…well。〃 The pilot took the walkie…talkie from Ins pocket and started giving directions to the tugs。 Pharris began to move sideways toward a pier。 A medium…sized drydock was straight ahead； but they were not moving that way。
〃Not the drydock？〃 Morris asked； surprised and angry that his ship was being moved to an ordinary pier。
〃Mechanical problems in the dock。 They're not ready for you yet。 Tomorrow； day after for sure。 I know how you feel； Captain。 Like your kid's hurt and they won't let her in the hospital。 Cheer up； I watched mine sink。〃
It made no sense to grumble； Morris knew。 The man was right。 If Pharris hadn't sunk during the tow； she was safe enough alongside the pier for a day or two。 The pilot was an expert。 His trained eye measured the wind and the tide； and he gave the proper orders to the tug captains。 Within thirty minutes the frigate was secured to the cargo pier。 Three TV news crews were waiting for them behind a screen of sailors in shore patrol livery。 As soon as the brow was rigged； an officer hurried aboard and came right to the bridge。
〃Captain； I'm Lieutenant mander Anders。 I have this for you； sir。〃 He handed over an official…looking envelope。
Morris tore it open and found a standard Navy dispatch form。 The message ordered him in terse Navy prose to Norfolk by the quickest available transport。
〃I have a car waiting。 You can catch the shuttle to D。C。； then hop a short…hauler to Norfolk。〃
〃What about my ship？〃
〃That's my job； Captain。 I'll take good care of her for you。〃
Just like that； Morris thought。 He nodded and went below to pack his gear。 Ten minutes later he walked without speaking past the TV cameras and was taken to Logan International Airport。
STORNOWAY； SCOTLAND
Toland went over the satellite photographs of Iceland's four airfields。 Strangely； the Russians were not making any use of the old Keflavik field； preferring instead to base their fighters at Reykjavik and the new NATO base。 Occasionally； a Backfire or two were landing at Keflavik； bombers with mechanical problems or running short of fuel； but that was it。 The northerly fighter sweeps had had their effect； too…the Russians were doing their tanking farther north and east now； which had produced a marginal but nevertheless negative effect on the Backfires' range。 The experts estimated that it cut twenty minutes off the time they had to search for convoys。 Despite the searching done by the Bears and satellite reconnaissance； only two…thirds of the raids actually launched attacks。 Toland didn't know why。 Was there a problem with Soviet munications？ If so； could they find a way to exploit it？
The Backfires were still hurting the convoys； and badly。 After considering Navy prodding； the Air Force was starting to base fighters in Newfoundland； Bermuda； and the Azores。 Supported by tankers borrowed from the Strategic Air mand； they were trying to maintain a bat air patrol over those convoys they could reach。 There was no hope of actually breaking up a Backfire raid； but they could start thinning the Bears out。 The Soviets had only about thirty of the wide…ranging Bear…D reconnaissance aircraft。 Roughly ten flew every day with their powerful Big Bulge radars turned on to guide the bombers and submarines in on the convoys； which made them relatively easy to find； if a fighter could be put out there to find them。 After much experimentation； the Russians had fallen into a predictable pattern of air operations。 They would be made to pay for that。 Tomorrow the Air Force would have a two…plane patrol over six different convoys。
The Russians would be made to pay a toll for basing aircraft on Iceland； too。
〃I make it a regiment； say twenty…four to twenty…seven aircraft。 All MiG…29 Fulcrums；〃 Toland said。 〃We never seem to see more than twenty…one on the ground。 I figure they're running a fairly steady bat air patrol； say four birds aloft almost around the clock。 They also appear to have three ground…based radars； and they're moving them around a lot。 That probably means that they're set up for ground…controlled intercepts。 Any problem jamming the search radars？〃
A fighter pilot shook his head。 〃With the right support； no。〃
〃So we'll just have to flush the MiGs off the ground and kill some。〃 The manders of both Tomcat squadrons were with Toland； examining the maps。 〃Want to keep clear of those SAMs； though。 From what the guys in Germany say； the SA…11 is very bad news。〃
The first Air Force effort to flatten Keflavik with B…52s had been a disaster。 Follow…up efforts with smaller； faster FB…111s had harassed the Russians but could not put Keflavik totally out of business。 SAC was unwilling to part with enough of its fastest strategic bombers to do this。 There still had not been a successful mission against the main fuel…storage site。 It was too close to a populated area； and satellite photos revealed that the civilians were still there。 Of course。
〃Let's get the Air Force to try another B…52 mission；〃 one fighter jock suggested。 〃They e in like before； except 。 。 。〃 He outlined some changes in the attack profile。 〃Now that we have our Queers with us； it might work out all right。〃
〃If you want my help； mander； you might at least be a little polite about it。〃 The Prowler pilot in the room clearly didn't like to have his forty…million…dollar aircraft referred to by that nickname。 〃I can knock those SAM radars back some； just keep in mind that SA…11 has a backup infrared tracker system。 You get within ten miles of the launchers； they have an even…money chance of smoking your Tomcat right out of the sky。〃 The really nasty thing about the SA…11； pilots had learned； was that it left almost no exhaust trail； which made it very hard to spot； and it was even harder to evade a SAM you couldn't see。
〃We'll stay clear of Mr。 SAM。 First time； gentlemen； we got the odds on our side。〃 The fighter pilots started putting a plan together。 They now had solid intelligence of how Russian fighters operated in bat。 The Soviets had good tactics； but they were also predictable。 If the American aircraft could contrive to present a situation for which the Russians were trained； they knew how Ivan would react to it。
STENDAL； GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
He had never expected it to be easy； but neither had Alekseyev expected NATO air forces to have control of the night skies。 Four minutes after midnight； an aircraft that had never registered on their radar had obliterated the radio transmitter station for CINC…West's headquarters。 They'd only had three alternate stations； each more than ten kilometers from the underground bunker plex。 Now they had one； plus a mobile transmitter that had already been bombed once。 The underg